Jim Valliant just posted a really interesting essay on anti-Semitism in the New Testament to SoloPassion. It’s well-worth reading. (Don’t just skim it!)

Although I’ve read bits and pieces of the Bible before, I’m in the process of reading the whole Bible straight through for the first time. Or rather, I’m listening to it: I found a pretty good reading of the King James Version available for free. (I didn’t want any of those new-fangled translations.) So far, I’m finding it absolutely fascinating. For example, I never knew that God demands salt upon his meaty sacrifices, but that’s quite emphatically stated in Leviticus 2:13. I’m taking notes on my digital recorder of points of more substantial interest, so I’ll surely blog those once I transcribe them.

So I’ve not yet read the whole of the New Testament, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the points Jim highlights when I do. That should be interesting!

In general, I expect the New Testament to be far more philosophically painful than the Old Testament. However, I must endure that pain to teach a bit of Christian ethics this upcoming semester!